curtis automotive hoist
Curtis Automotive Hoist Case Analysis Company Description In 1998 Curtis Automotive Hoist (CAH) was created by Mr. Curtis, a design engineer who had previously worked for a Canadian subsidiary of a US automotive hoist manufacturer. ... Curtis had designed a unique above ground hoist, called the Curtis Lift. A surface automotive hoist is a product used by garages, service stations, and other repair shops to lift cars for servicing. This hoist had several special features which included a scissor lift and wheel alignment pads. When senior management expressed no interest in the idea of an above ground, surface hoist, Mr. Curtis decided to leave the company and start his own business. Curtis Automotive Hoist (CAH) has become an emerging producer of manufactured surface automotive hoists. Curtis Automotive Hoist major players ƒæ Mr. Mark Curtis ¡V President of CAH and design engineer ƒæ Mr. ... Curtis had taken considerable pride in the development and marketing of the Curtis Lift. The Lift had many special features; for instance it had a scissor lift and a safety locking mechanism that allowed the hoist to be raised to any level and locked in place. ... The Curtis Lift developed a reputation in the industry as the ¡§Cadillac¡¨ of hoists; the unit was judged by many as superior to competitive offerings because of its design, the quality of workmanship, the safety features, the ease of installation, and the 5 year warranty. ... Curtis held four patents on the Curtis Lift, and continually made improvements to the product. The Curtis Lift was considered a leader in automotive lift safety. ... Curtis¡¦s main goal is to keep the company on a fast growth track. ... Curtis was considering the feasibility of entering the European market in 1999. ... Curtis is unsure of making the move into the European market. ... Our goal is to find which market provides the best opportunity for distribution of the Curtis lift, which will provide a growing market share, given our market knowledge and sales resources. ... SWOT Analysis: Figure 1: SWOT Analysis for Curtis Automotive Hoist Internal Factors Strengths Weaknesses Management Experienced manager Small management team (possibly two members¡XCurtis and Mr. ... wholesaler does not ¡§push¡¨ Curtis lift Finance Growing company in terms of revenue and profitability Limited product line may inhibit growth; fluctuating exchange rates External Factors Strengths Weaknesses Competitive Only two other companies manufacture scissor lifts; recognized as a high quality product; known as the ¡§Cadillac¡¨ of hoists Duties are increasing the selling price Economic Increased sales of cars in U. ... They are typically purchased by automotive outlets that repair cars. ... The in-ground hoist market makes up 21% of hoist sales. The surface hoist comprises 79% of hoist sales. ... Curtis Automotive Hoist competes in the specialty shop segment of the market focusing on wheel alignment. ... The average price of a hoist is $3,000 to $15,000, and it was considered a capital expense. When a company decided to purchase a hoist, it must decide what type of hoist was required to do the job and what brand would best suit the company¡¦s image. The typical hoist¡¦s useful life was 10-13 years. Competitors: Sixteen companies competed with Curtis Automotive Hoist in North America. ... The hoist market was dominated by two U. ... Additionally, AHV was the only hoist manufacturer to have its own direct sales force as its sole source of generating sales. ... AHV Lifts uses a completely different lifting mechanism than the Curtis Lift and does not offer the extensive safety features.